Young chimpanzees, gorillas and bonobos are often orphaned by the bushmeat trade, when their parents are killed for their meat.

(c) B Curran

While most people are aware that elephants are poached for their ivory, many do not know that elephants are also a part of the bushmeat crisis. One elephant yields thousands of kilos of meat, which may be easier to sell in markets than elephant ivory.

Commercial logging in Central and West Africa opens up roads and access to commercial hunters and can lead to wildlife populations’ decline.

Bushmeat training programs help build the capacity of wildlife and protected area managers dealing with the bushmeat crisis every day.

Bryan Curran

(c.) D. Siddle

(c) Ruggiero

Humans share much of our DNA with great apes and monkeys like this black and white colobus. Bushmeat hunting exposes humans to diseases carried by non-human primates, and vice versa.

copyright - RG Ruggiero

Crocodiles and other reptiles are also affected by the bushmeat crisis. Often captured and transported live, crocodiles can suffer a great deal before they are butchered.

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Membership

BCTF's Sustaining, Supporting and Contributing Members provided critical leadership, technical support and funding for the task force for a decade. To see a list of current Supporting and Contributing Members, click here.

SUSTAINING MEMBERSHIP:Sustaining Members are institutions who provide funding to the BCTF above the level of $10,000 per year. These individuals and/or institutions maintain action in supporting the resolution of the bushmeat crisis. Sustaining Members vote for the Vice-Chair position on the BCTF Executive Committee. Sustaining Members are represented by the CEO or appointed senior level personnel who nominate one Steering Committee Member to represent the organization, institution, or individual. Sustaining Members may vote for other Executive Committee representatives from the Steering Committee. Sustaining Members are listed on the BCTF letterhead, website, and information materials and receive copies of all Executive Committee and financial reports.

SUPPORTING MEMBERSHIP:

Supporting Members are organizations, institutions, and individuals maintaining an interest in the African or global commercial bushmeat trade that provide a minimum annual BCTF support fee of $6,000. Institutional Supporting Members are represented by the CEO or appointed senior level personnel who can nominate one Steering Committee Member to represent the organization, institution, or individual. The appointed SC Member can be replaced by another appointee of the institution/individual should the original appointee no longer be able to serve as an SC member. Supporting Members may vote for members of the Executive Committee (EC). Supporting Members are listed on the BCTF letterhead, website, and information materials and receive copies of all SC and financial reports. The Host Institution maintains an automatic Co-Chair position on the Executive Committee.

CONTRIBUTING MEMBERSHIP:

Contributing Members include organizations, institutions, and individuals maintaining an interest in the African or global commercial bushmeat trade who are providing more than $1,000 and less than $6,000 annual financial support. Contributing Members are listed on the BCTF Website and in BCTF information materials. Contributing Members are able to nominate candidates to serve as At Large members of the Steering Committee. Contributing Members receive copies of all SC and financial reports.

GENERAL MEMBERSHIP:

General Members (GM) include organizations, institutions, and individuals maintaining an interest in the African or global commercial bushmeat trade who are providing less than $1,000 annual financial support (i.e. not Supporting Members or Contributing Members). The primary form of communication among the membership is via electronic mail (i.e. Bushmeat Listserv). Due to this communication form and the diversity of individuals and organizations currently involved and likely to join, membership is free--though contributions are welcome. Once members sign onto the listserv they are able to share in communications with the membership according to guidelines established for the listserv. General Members are able to serve on the Steering Committee (At Large).

From 1999 - 2009, the Bushmeat Crisis Task Force members and staff worked together to fulfill its mission of building a public, professional and government constituency aimed at identifying and supporting solutions that effectively respond to the bushmeat crisis in Africa and around the world. While the formal collaboration has ended, BCTF members and former staff continue to work in the field, on policy and with stakeholders around the world. The BCTF website continues to showcase the results of our decade of work and provides the Bushmeat IMAP's archive of bushmeat publications and projects.